Glider Trajectory Profile Data for Mid-Atlantic Cold Pool Study

Physical oceanographic measurements collected by the underwater glider RU33 during a 70-day deployment in the Mid-Atlantic Bight from August to October 2018. The dataset contains profiles of temperature, salinity, conductivity, and density. Data were assembled by the Integrated Ocean Observing System's National Glider Data Assembly Center and archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

Use Cases

• Validate regional ocean model predictions of temperature and salinity structure using in-situ profile data.
• Analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of the Mid-Atlantic Summer Cold Pool using temperature and density measurements along the glider trajectory.
• Investigate correlations between oceanographic conditions (e.g., sea surface temperature, salinity) and hurricane intensity modulation.
• Map vertical property distributions (conductivity, density) to characterize water mass structure on the New Jersey Shelf.

Strengths

• Data covers a continuous 70-day observational period from 2018-08-01 to 2018-10-09.
• Measurements include multiple core physical oceanographic properties: temperature, salinity, conductivity, and density.
• Data underwent quality checks for format compliance by the IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center before archival.

Limitations

• Sample size and spatial resolution are constrained to a single glider's 90-day maximum mission profile.
• Data is temporally limited to a specific season (summer/early fall) in a single year (2018).
• The geographic scope is focused on the New Jersey Shelf within the Mid-Atlantic Bight, limiting broader regional applicability.

Provenance

Source

Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RU COOL), via IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center and NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected by an autonomous underwater glider (Slocum glider RU33) profiling the water column.

Time Range

2018-08-01 to 2018-10-09

Freshness

Single deployment from 2018; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Mid-Atlantic Bight, specifically the New Jersey Shelf.